# Opinions of master/dr Zhi Gang Sha is he a cult leader? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2013, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-of-master-dr-zhi-gang-sha-is-he-a-cult-leader/677281 "2013-12-27T12:34:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-of-master-dr-zhi-gang-sha-is-he-a-cult-leader/677281/1 "2013-12-27T12:34:10Z")
Back story is that one of my Friends daughter is involved somehow with this Zhi Gang Sha dude/dudes/organisation and she is weepily (and at this point drunkily) going on about the terrible cult she is involved with. So how bad is it/could be. Anyone here have any first hand info of them? I plan to do a Google investigation when i get up tomorrow but in the meantime I would like to hear the views of the teeming millions. Cheers ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-of-master-dr-zhi-gang-sha-is-he-a-cult-leader/677281/2 "2013-12-27T14:50:37Z")
It’s not a cult. It’s just a bunch of woo. It’s bad, but not any worse than say, selling Amway. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-of-master-dr-zhi-gang-sha-is-he-a-cult-leader/677281/3 "2013-12-27T15:06:42Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s not a cult. It’s just a bunch of woo. It’s bad, but not any worse than say, selling Amway. You can lose friends, family and all your money? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-of-master-dr-zhi-gang-sha-is-he-a-cult-leader/677281/4 "2013-12-27T21:55:05Z")
Zhi Gang Sha’s a faith healer. He claims to be able to “download soul software” which allows one’s organs to heal themselves. It works exactly as well as you might expect. Naturally, he’s written a book which made the NYT bestseller list. Here’s a Wired article which includes Sha’s account of how he got The Powers: [http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/04/drsha\_0405](http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/04/drsha_0405) > [@](#): > > Sha performed his first organ soul download in July 2003 while teaching acupuncture at a Toronto retreat. > > “The Divine came to me and said, Zhi Gang, transmit my soul software – a spiritual program – to humanity for healing,” Sha explains. “The Divine also told me to transmit soul acupuncture. He told me, I will download a soul acupuncture needle. Silent DownLOAAAD!! Now I offer free remote downloads to more than 1,000 physical human beings in one session.” Like all faith healing, it’s dangerous bullshit, but it’s not actually a cult. It’s not like Scientology or Moonies type dangerous. He has an “Institute” but he’s mostly about accumulating money from fools, not accumulating True Believers. He can do his thing to people all over the world, 1000 at a time. The last thing he needs is actual people turning up on his doorstep. He’s working on another book, natch. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-of-master-dr-zhi-gang-sha-is-he-a-cult-leader/677281/5 "2013-12-28T05:36:59Z")
So any suggestions on the best way for my friend to handle this? Apparently there has already been some sort of family blow up about it.